CHÂTEAU LANGOA BARTON

2020 3ème Cru Classé Saint Julien

EN PRIMEUR

This is a great vintage for Langoa with tremendous depth of fruit and amazing length, too. The nose is sensational and the weight is medium-plus, as opposed to full. The cassis and black cherry notes are sublime and the detail and oak integration is thrilling I went back to this wine many times and on each occasion, I found more and more fruit and spice. I cannot recommend 2020 Langoa enough. Rating: 18+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2021)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

53.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 8.5% Cabernet Franc. Healthy deep purplish crimson. High-toned, fully ripe nose that is rather seductive before a glossy, polished-tannin dry finish. Promises well for the future while being relatively charming even now. Not the most concentrated 2020 but everything is in balance. Well done. Sappy, dry finish. Very St-Julien. Some restraint despite the initial seduction. 13.5% Drinking range: 2028 - 2046 Rating: 17 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)

Not quite as generous as Léoville Barton, replaced with classicism and subdued tannins, as we see the impact of a slightly cooler terroir. Juicy finish, black fruits, plenty of life and lift through the palate. Enjoyable, but closed in with clove spice that is very clear on the finish. Tasted twice. A yield of 34hl/ha. Harvest September 14 to 28. Drinking range: 2027 - 2042 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

2020 is a really successful vintage here. The nose is loaded with spice and herbal notes, almost medicinal, but inviting. On the palate the feel is good, four square and with a clean cut to the fruit. Some earth, some leather, spicy too and pretty notes of dried flowers all complimenting the nice plummy heart of this satisfying Bordeaux. Already very charming. There is a serious feel too though with some grip building with super fine tannins towards a nicely lifted finish. Every cellar should have some! L&S (May 2021)

This is very linear and structured, with blackcurrant, pine-needle, graphite and cedar aromas and flavors. Intense. Full-bodied, chalky and intense. Superb. Best of the trilogy. Drink after 2027. Rating: 97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)

The 2020 Langoa-Barton is a total charmer, just as it was from barrel. Succulent red cherry fruit, cedar, sweet pipe tobacco and crushed flowers give this radiant, mid-weight Saint-Julien gorgeous aromatic presence. There's good energy to keep things in balance. I imagine the 2020 will drink well pretty much right out of the gate. It is already so alluring. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035 Rating: 92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

The 2020 Langoa Barton has quite a plush, violet-tinged bouquet, higher-toned than the Léoville Barton, though without the same unerring complexity. This just wants to go out and have fun. The palate has an irresistible rondeur, velvety smooth with black plum, hints of cassis and a sweet and persistent finish. Joyful. Drinking range: 2026 - 2055 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

The 2020 Langoa Barton is an absolute delight. It offers the radiance of the year but in the mid-weight, understated style that is such a Langoa signature. Bright red cherry fruit, blood orange, mint, rose petal and cedar give the 2020 a whole range of bright aromas and flavors that bristle with energy. This is such a pretty wine. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Langoa Barton has a really gorgeous, very pure bouquet of crushed violets infusing black cherry, blueberry and black plummy scents. The new oak seems a little more pronounced compared to recent vintages and yet it is in sync with the fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins that disguise the structure underneath, the counterbalancing acidity line keeping everything focused and fresh. This is quite an audacious Langoa, and you know what? It pulls it off. Drinking range: 2026 - 2055 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

Loads of red and black currants, lead pencil shavings, tobacco, and dried flower notes emerge from the 2020 Château Langoa Barton, a gorgeous looking 2020 offering medium to full-bodied richness, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It has the concentrated, backward vibe of the vintage yet brings remarkable opulence and texture. It's impressive. Rating: 94-96 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)

Hugh Barton acquired the estate of Château Pontet-Langlois (and re-named it Langoa-Barton) in 1821, a few years before he then bought a portion of the estate of the Marquis de Léoville Beauvais, which he renamed Léoville Barton. The Barton's ownership of Langoa is the longest ownership by one family of any estate in the Médoc. There was no château to the Loville portion, and the wines were, and still are, made at Langoa. The Bartons had already been a fixture of the Bordeaux wine trade for a hundred years at this stage - Thomas Barton left his native Ireland in 1722 and settled in Bordeaux, eventually buying Château le Boscq in St Estèphe in 1745. His grandson Hugh, who bought the two Barton estates, developed a wine merchant's business with Daniel Guestier (Barton & Guestier), and the Guestier family proved crucial in protecting the Barton's châteaux during both the French Revolution and World War II when the Bartons had to flee France. Langoa Barton's vineyard classed as a 'Troisieme Cru Classé' in 1855, is quite small for this part of the Médoc with only 17 hectares in production. Planted with mostly Cabernet and Merlot, at 9100 vines per hectare, like Léoville itself. Also like Léoville, it is a terroir of deep gravel over clay. The average vine age is around 35 years.

Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.

Ordering

Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.

Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.

Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
  • Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
  • Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
  • Delivery of 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.

Practical notes - how it works

We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.

Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.

Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.

One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-

  • +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
  • +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
  • +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
  • +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
  • +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
  • +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.

Storage Options:

Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2025. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.